Birthday Candles
by Spry
Summary: Zuko and Azula realize they might know less about their mother than they first thought. Ursa realizes that there are some things she can't change, no matter how hard she tries. Probably not my best, but you should CLICKY anyway. Made for InspiredByFyre! Week 2012!
1. Of Scarf Ninja Headbands

**YAY! The firstest day of InspiredByFyre! Week is here! :D As such, I kinda sorta decided to make Fyre happy and write an IBF! story. Just a warning, I have pretty much no idea where I'm going with this, so strap your seatbelt and try your best to gracefully deal with plotline bumps. Even if they're like, HUGE.**

**And since Bananas is sick of me shoving his profile full of desserts, FREE BOTTLED WATER FOR EVERYONE! See? They have leetle flames on them for IBF! Week! **

…**even though it's water. Maybe I should offer to set people on fire for free instead. **

**OH! Right. Anyway, ENJOY!**

**Main idea: what if Ursa was a bender?**

**Day 1: what if Zuko and Azula were twins?  
-**

_"Happy birthday, Zuko and Azula… Happy Birthday to you!"_

"And many more!" Cousin Lu Ten chimed in, which made several of the young ladies present giggle and swoon obnoxiously.

Ten-year-old Azula rolled her eyes then looked away innocently when Ursa sent her a stern glance. But as soon as one of the guests diverted her mother's attention with a question about the kind of cake, Azula made eye contact with Mai, sitting in the back of the room, and made a face that clearly said, _"death would be a nice alternative to this party."_

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY AZULA AND ZUKO!" Ty Lee cheered, and squeezed both siblings in two overly ecstatic hugs, ignoring their squirming. She produced a shiny, pink-wrapped package decorated with little pictures of baby saber-tooth moose lion cubs.

"Open mine first!" She said, clapping her hands and bouncing excitedly.

Sensing her mother's watchful gaze again, Azula managed with a little effort not to wrinkle her nose at the wrapping paper as she took the present from Ty Lee and began to tear it open; Zuko leaning expectantly over her shoulder.

Still, she couldn't help the face she made when she pulled out Ty Lee's pink and yellow gift.

"What _is _it?" She demanded.

"It's a scarf!" Ty Lee said, throwing it around Azula's neck. "I made it myself! Isn't it pretty? I think it really brings out your and Zuko's eyes- and look! I made one for Zuko, too!" She said, pulling a second from out of the box.

Zuko paled and recoiled in horror. "I am _not _wearing that!"

"You could wear it like a ninja headband…" Ty Lee suggested hopefully.

Ursa hid a smile. "Zuko, Azula, say thank you."

Zuko snatched the scarf from Ty Lee's outstretched hand and muttered something unintelligible and most likely unflattering.

"I think she right though, Zuko," Lu Ten teased, "It _does _bring out your eyes."

Zuko turned as pink as his new scarf ninja headband while more giggling and swooning ensued.

Azula just rolled her eyes _again_, whether or not her mother was watching, and dropped her scarf onto the table with a look of loathing. "Can we get to the cake already? It's starting to melt." She added distastefully.

Ursa frowned a little bit at her daughter's impatience, but turned to Lu Ten anyway. "Yes, of course. Lu Ten, would you mind lighting the candles?"

Lu Ten opened his mouth, most likely to say something witty, but was drowned out by his giggly fangirls.

Normally Azula would have insisted on lighting her own candles- normally she would have insisted on doing _anything_ to show off her firebending skills- but her father, Prince Ozai, was not present at his own children's birthday party. Something about a war meeting and burning to the ground that he had mumbled on his way out the door earlier.

Uncle Iroh was absent, too, which meant that her party was mostly composed of old men who were somehow important or acquainted with her parents and some distant relatives that, for all she knew, could have just wandered in from town.

Lu Ten snapped his fingers to create a small flame and then swiftly lit all nine candles- technically speaking, there should have been at least ten candles, or even twenty since they were _both _turning ten today- but apparently either someone forgot about that or ran out of candles. Or had really, _really _poor math skills.

Azula didn't wait to make a wish before starting to blow out the candles, mostly because wishes were for babies and because Zuko was doing it, which gave her a head-start on him. She was already about halfway done when he shouted out, "Hey! No fair!"

"Azula, let your brother blow some out." Ursa scolded instantly.

The little princess crossed her arms impatiently. "He's getting spit all over the cake," she complained.

"Azula!"

She sighed huffily and glared as she watched her brother lean forward intently, ready to blow out the last candle- and then it occurred to her that she could easily flick that candle out with firebending before he even started puffing. Imagining the stupid look on his face, she smirked and casually flicked her wrist.

The little yellow flame on the birthday candle, instead of vanishing, decided instead to become ten times bigger because it thought it would be more fun- and that's when Zuko's shirt caught fyre.

"AAAAHHH!"

Zuko screamed, Azula screamed, one of the old men fell over- the majority of the rest of the party just shrieked and started running in little uncoordinated circles. One of the giggly young ladies swooned again, but probably out of fear this time.

Meanwhile, Zuko was rolling on the floor and screeching in pain while Azula wached in horror as the flames increased and began to spread to her brother's arms. Ursa was standing a little ways away, completely still and mouth open in shock. Azula turned toward her and shrieked desperately, "MOM!"

Ursa locked eyes with her, terrified and completely helpless. But then something flashed in her eyes, and she stepped forward toward her screeching son. Taking up a stance, she waved a single arm in one sweeping motion and Zuko's flames extinguished, leaving a gasping, smoking prince and a distinct burnt twin brother smell.

Ursa turned back to her daughter. "Azula, send for a doctor."

Both of her children just sat and stared with their mouths open.

Ursa scooped up the crispy prince and swept out of the room without another word while Azula remained frozen in her chair, shaking with a new kind of shock.

Because Ursa had never, in ten years, ever mentioned- let alone demonstrated- that she was a firebender.

**TA-DA! :D For the original ideas, go check out Fyre's Guide to Creativity by Forever Fyre and GO DO SOME IBF! FICS! :D **

**P.S. LOOKY! A BUTTON! What does it say on it? GASP! Why, I believe it says REVIEW! ;D**


	2. Of Much Unladylike-ness

**Yes, it is far past IBF! Week, and I'm posting the second chapter. Yes, you can throw things at me now. SPECIAL THANKS to Melody Sparrow, Bananas, Eightbooksand60cats, a shade of grey91 and Fyre for leaving really awesome reviews! YAY! :D**

…**somebody dark Bananas on water for me.**

**Day 2: Ozai/Ursa thingy in the past**

_"Who are you?" She said, a little louder than she'd intended. _

_His brow furrowed. "It's _**my**_ garden; who are _**you**_?" He demanded._

_A few strands from her messed-up hair bun fell into her face. "My name is Ursa." _

_"You firebend." He noted._

_She smiled an adorable eleven-year-old smile. "Do you?"_

_"I am Prince Ozai, Royalty of the Fire Nation and one day future Firelord," He snapped, and then added with a self-satisfactory smirk, "_**of course**_ I firebend."_

**~oOoOo~**

"_Mom_?"

Azula poked her head around another empty hallway, scowling disappointedly when neither her mother nor well-toasted brother were in sight.

But the hallway _did_ smell suspiciously smoky, so she took a few creaky steps forward and glanced around for any signs of life. A bug scuttled across the floor and made a satisfying _crunch! _noise under her boot. She frowned a little at the unfortunate stain it left on the carpet.

Thunder rumbled outside, and she could hear the beginnings of a rainstorm sounding on the roof, but there was another noise coming from nearby. She strained her ears to listen, and heard some muffled whimpers coming from a few doors to the left.

_Zuko_.

She headed for the door, pushed it open and took a few cautious steps inside. The curtains over the windows were drawn, leaving the room completely dark, and the sounds of the storm outside echoed unsettlingly. In the middle of the floor was a big, flat, fluffy rectangle-shaped object that was probably a bed, and it was from this that the sniffling sounds came from.

Azula peeked over the edge of the bed to see Zuko curled up on his side, gasping and still smoking a little. Even though she still felt a little dizzy from shock and a traumatizing event had just ruined her birthday party, she had to admit to herself that he almost looked kind of funny- in a pathetic sort of way.

"Zuko?"

He wiped furiously at his eyes. "Go away!" He choked out.

She bit her lip. "Are you… _crying_?"

He took a moment to use his sleeve as a handkerchief before replying. "No!"

"B-"

"I just have… smoke in my eyes!" He mumbled unconvincingly.

Azula looked down thoughtfully for a moment, deciding how best to explain to Zuko why he just _happened_ to have spontaneously burst into flames while she had been sitting right next to him, but was saved by the the door suddenly flying open unexpectedly.

Both children shrieked in surprise as lightning cracked eerily, illuminating the figure in the doorway. Ursa walked in, completely drenched, and Azula half-expected her to suddenly waterbend her clothes dry, declare herself the Avatar and launch into an impressive display of bending all four elements, all the while healing Zuko of his burns and telling the story of how she had slain the last dragon just last week.

….but she didn't.

Instead she just squelched to Zuko's bedside, squeezing his hand reassuringly. "The doctor will be here any minute now." She told him.

He just nodded, wiping at his eyes again.

The three lapsed into silence. A very _awkward _silence.

Azula watched her mother with rapt attention, staring unblinkingly at her mother's face. Ursa shifted uncomfortably.

"I know," the latter suggested weakly, "Let's play a game while we wait, if you feel up to it, Zuko."

"Why don't you tell us a _story_?" Azula said, still staring with her arms crossed.

Ursa bit her lip. "I don't have any stories right now."

Another awkward pause. More glaring.

Finally Ursa turned to look at her daughter. "Azula, please don't look at me that way. It's unladylike to stare."

"Is it unladylike to _lie_? Or what about keep secrets?" Azula demanded.

Ursa pursed her lips. "I don't want to talk about this right now."

Azula ignored her. "How come you never told us you were a firebender?"

Even Zuko lifted his head with interest.

Ursa let go of Zuko's hand, looking away from her children's accusing gazes. "I… didn't think it was important."

"How come you don't firebend all the time?" Zuko managed to croak.

"It's- unladylike to firebend." Ursa faltered.

Her children glared at her, unconvinced.

Ursa got to her feet, brushing off her still-damp robes. "No more questions," she said briskly, "I'm going to-"

"Lady Ursa!" Came a voice suddenly from the doorway. All three heads snapped toward the royal guard standing there with a painfully straight stance. "A doctor has arrived," he explained. "He's waiting in the hall."

Ursa breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness."

"Prince Ozai is also waiting in the hall. He's asking to see you." The guard added reluctantly.

The relief quickly melted and died in a sad little puddle from Ursa's face. Her mouth tightened into a grim line. "Tell him I'll be right there." She instructed. The guard nodded once and then disappeared.

Azula felt a sinking feeling in her chest. Once Ozai found out about what had happened, it wouldn't be long before somebody put two and two together and Azula would be in some serious trouble. If she caught Ozai in a good mood, then maybe he would even be pleased at yet another demonstration of her exceptional firebending ability- but most likely once he got his hands on the medical bill that pleasure would turn into a good smacking on Azula's face.

Azula watched with growing dread as her mother gathered her skirts around her. She made it halfway to the door before Azula asked her one last question.

"Mom?"

Ursa froze where she stood. "Yes, Azula?"

"Who taught you to firebend?"

Ursa hesitated for a moment. Her shoulders slumped and without turning around, she spoke.

"Your father."

Then she swept out the door without another word, leaving Zuko and Azula alone again in silence.

Zuko looked pale, fiddling anxiously with his pink scarf, which he still had in his hands, although now it was a bit singed at the edges. Personally, Azula thought it was an improvement and considered asking Zuko if he would set hers on fire.

But she didn't have time for that. She had to go make up a fake but convincing story to explain how Zuko's magnetism to flames had absolutely nothing to do with her and possibly plant fake evidence to prove her point, if need be. _And_ she'd have to find some way to make sure Zuko didn't ruin her story, but she had already used up her supply of duct tape from the last time something like this had happened- although that had more to do with pushing Zuko of a third story balcony than it had to do with flames.

Reluctantly, she made for the door just as angry Prince Ozai noises started to sound from the hallway, mentally preparing herself for a berating.

A sudden idea struck her, and she stopped, turning back toward Zuko with her hand still on the doorway.

"Zuko," she said before she could think too much about it, "Mom's the one who set you on fire."

She fled from the room before she could see Zuko sitting on the bed with his pink scarf and his mouth open with shock and confusion.

**Aaand, there you have it! When will I be updating next? Who knows! It could be tomorrow, next week, or even next year!**

…**but if that happens, you may go ahead and throw stuff at me. :D **

**Furthermore, I'm afraid that Fyre might be DEAD. D: Last I heard she was doing pretty bad, and she hasn't updated anything at all….**

**Who wants to help me prepare a nice little coffin? **


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